One Good Eye

QANTAS and I have been married for almost 10 years now.  We started out with short trips over to New Zealand, a few domestic runs between SYD, CBR and MEL and the odd weekend sojourn to Asia.  Like any relationship it was great at the start, QANTAS couldn’t do enough for me, extra legroom, no problem, upgrades not a drama, points bonuses…absolutely and special meals, every single flight.  We decided to take it to the next level and throw in a few trips to SIN, HKG, PEK, BKK and even LAX, LHR and BOS.

As the years flew by, I think QANTAS and I become complacent, we stopped working on our relationship and it just sort of stalled.  We settled down to the day to day drudgery of CBR, MEL, SYD, BNE and back again.

We took some time out in 2004, and I tried a relationship with V-Line, I realised I was a fool and that QANTAS had more to offer, so we soon got back to our international routes and for a while, life was good again, a new honeymoon phase if you will.  The break reinvigorated us both, it gave me hope for a bright future together again.

But, lately I’ve been getting frustrated, I am working hard in the relationship, showing commitment above and beyond what should be expected, but I get nothing in return, I fear that the thrill has gone, QANTAS has become cold, somewhat distant, we are in a rut, but once you are both comfortable, it seems too hard to find someone new, familiarity breeds complacency, but there must be more to life than this?

I’ve been traveling in Asia, I’ve been lonely.  One day, at the airport, Cathay Pacific caught my eye, it’s younger, hotter, available and Asian…….and therefore unexplored, exotic and mysterious.  Since I was away from QANTAS, I decided what the hell and I hooked up with Cathay.  A holiday fling if you please.

With Cathay, it’s like it was with QANTAS in the early days, extra legroom no problem, meals from business class in economy, absolutely, Cathay even lets me sneak on extra luggage AND calls me by name, QANTAS just doesn’t do that anymore.  Cathay can’t get enough of me, Cathay makes me feel young and important again.

Now I am torn.  Can I throw away what I have built with QANTAS over the last 10 years, I have spent years building points and status, but it just seems so fresh and great again with Cathay, that I am prepared to walk away from all those years of marriage with QANTAS, throw caution to the wind and chase Cathay to the far east.

There just seems to be so much more action for me in Asia, if it doesn’t work out with Cathay, I can always try JAL, Thai or Singapore.  All these airlines can’t seem to get enough of me, I’m getting more attention than an overweight old balding man in a Bangkok bar, it’s unbelievable how popular with all the airlines I am up here, QANTAS I want to love you, but how can you compete with all of these exotic beauties that give me nothing but attention and flattering comments, surely they love me for me and are not simply after my money.

If I am lucky and play my cards right, I may get to have a crack at Virgin!!!

Sir Richard, if you read this, can I have a job doing something or other?  I can work with Oliver Beale.

Kirk Nesbitt Airlines Airlines, Travel